Love at First Fight
by klh2003
Summary: During her fifth year, Hermione realizes her true love when Ron and Draco have a horrible wizard duel. Please Read and Review!
1. Undying Love

Love at First Fight  
  
A/N: I do not own the HP characters, but I do own the plot!  
  
Ron Weasly sat in the most comfortable chair in the Gryffindor common room, trying to figure out his Divination homework.  
  
"What is the symbol of "undying love" in tea leaves? How should I know that?" he grumbled.  
  
"The shield," said Hermione as she walked through the portrait hole. Ron, who was skipping dinner to finish his homework before the Quidditch match tomorrow, jumped at the sound of another voice.  
  
"Hermione!" he yelled. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I should ask you the same question," Hermione answered. "Well, I saw that you weren't at dinner - highly unusual - I thought something was wrong."  
  
"I'm doing my homework," he said huffily.  
  
"Are you feeling OK?" she asked rather inquisitively.  
  
"Ha ha ha," Ron replied angrily as he gathered his homework and stormed up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.  
  
Hermione downheartedly went to the prefect's common room.  
  
Why did I yell at her like that? Ron asked himself. Because I'm stupid, that's why. Poor Hermione!  
  
The boys streamed into the room. Ron put his books away and went to bed. He had a long, sleepless night. 


	2. The Dream

Chapter 2: "The Dream"  
  
When Ron awoke, he was in the middle of a cemetery. Someone was screaming. He looked in the direction of the screaming. It was Hermione!  
  
Ron ran over to Hermione and found she was magically bound. A wand, he thought. The wand that conjured the spell must be here somewhere!  
  
As he was looking around tombstones for the wand, Hermione started yelling.  
  
"No!" she screamed desperately. "Ron!"  
  
"What Hermione?" Ron asked. He turned around just in time to see Draco Malfoy raise his wand. Ron reached into his robe for his own wand, but was too late.  
  
"Crucio!" came Draco's voice. Ron withered with pain, but as he fell to the cold ground he saw something he had never noticed before. The dark mark!!!  
  
"Ron, wake up!" Ron squinted to see who was making all the racket. It was Harry Potter. 


	3. Authors Note 1

Hey! I will write more. The 3rd chapter is nearly finished. I've just been busy. Keep up the reviews! Thanks! -KLH2003 


	4. Chapter 3: The Challenge

A.N.--- I own a notebook, a brain, a set of HP books, a pencil, my story, and a HP craze. But other than that, J.K. Rowling owns it all. Please don't get mad if my story is messed up. I'm just a 7th grader, after all!  
  
"Malfoy, the dark mark, crucio, Hermione. Hermione! Where is she?" Ron demanded, his memory coming back. He was covered in a cold sweat.  
  
"Slow down," Harry told Ron.  
  
"I- I woke up in a cemetery, and-" Ron started.  
  
"A cemetery? Ron, what is going on?"  
  
"I don't know, Harry!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Ron, wait here," Harry said suddenly. He ran off. Ron, however, didn't hear Harry. He was paralyzed in thought.  
  
Harry ran straight for the prefects' portrait hole. When he got to the picture of a small sorcerer with a hat that was too big, he stopped.  
  
"Password?" squeaked the tiny sorcerer.  
  
"Owl post," Harry said before taking a deep breath. He stepped through the opening made when the portrait moved.  
  
He found himself in a very colorful room. All four walls were different colors. One was crimson, one a deep green, one yellow, and one dark blue. There were also four couches that matched the walls. There were two halls. One had a green door and a blue door. Down the other hall was a red door and a yellow door. He ran up to the red door and knocked.  
  
"Hermione! Come on! Wake up! Open the door!" he yelled frantically.  
  
"Wha- Harry!?! It's five-thirty in the morning," Hermione said groggily.  
  
Despite how comfortable she was in her queen-sized, four-post bed, she got up and opened her door.  
  
"Harry, what are you doing here?" she questioned. "What's the matter?" she asked, noticing Harry's worried look.  
  
"It's Ron!" Harry told Hermione. "He's acting funny!"  
  
What do you mean? Funny? She would have added more, but she noted the look on Harry's face.  
  
"I mean waking up at five-thirty in the morning, yelling nonsense- a lot of which I can't even start to understand, not to mention his bloodshot eyes." Harry trailed off.  
  
"Bloodshot eyes?" Hermione shuddered.  
  
"Yeah. They were almost scary. Like something had taken over his body and mind. Like he has seen pure terror."  
  
"Harry, if this is what I think it is we need a professor. We can't take this into our own hands," Hermione said solemnly.  
  
Harry gulped. "What do you think this is? Hysteria?"  
  
"No, not hysteria, he's probably got spelnumia," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Spelnumia? What is that?" he glanced at her terrified face.  
  
"Spelnumia is a spell that. that. that only dark wizards can cast on you. It drains the color out of your skin, but as it does, it sucks the life right out of you," Hermione finally managed to say.  
  
"It's curable, right?" Harry asked worriedly.  
  
"Of course, but we must get Professor McGonagall- now!" Hermione replied.  
  
They rushed out of her room and through the portrait hole. They ran down two flights of stairs to McGonagalls room.  
  
"Professor McGonagall! Please come help!" they cried in unison.  
  
The door opened. Out stepped a very sleepy looking McGonagall.  
  
"What is wrong Mr. Potter, Miss Granger?" she yawned.  
  
"It's Ron! We think he has spelnumia," Harry informed.  
  
"Spelnumia? Say no more, we must go quickly!" McGonagall said as she swept them along to the portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress.  
  
"Password?" she yawned.  
  
"Acid pop," McGonagall answered.  
  
The portrait swung open to reveal an almost petrified Ron. McGonagalls eyes widened.  
  
Mr. Weasly, what has happened?" McGonagall asked rushing over to Ron.  
  
Ron, who had been staring at the blazing fire thinking, jumped at the sound of another voice.  
  
"I don't know," Ron said, but he began to launch into complete details about his dream.  
  
"Mr. Weasly, you clearly have spelnumia. You will spend the day in the hospital wing. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey can cure you," Professor McGonagall explained after a few moments of silence.  
  
"Hospital wing? Professor, what about the quiddich match today? We can't let Slytherin win by default!" Ron felt like screaming.  
  
"Your sister has been practicing for the position of Keeper. She's quite good. She will fill your spot for the match," McGonagall replied.  
  
"What?" Ron felt sick. His own sister.how could she?  
  
"You heard me," McGonagall said. "Now go and collect what you think you will need for the day. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, you will escort Mr. Weasly to the hospital wing."  
  
"OK," Hermione muttered. Harry didn't say a word.  
  
Ron felt miserable. All the classes had been canceled due to the quiddich match, but he had papers and books scattered all over the squeaky hospital bed. He was still trying to figure out the dream.  
  
'The dark mark is only found on You Know Who's followers. It looks like a skull with a serpent snaking through the mouth. Some followers that have escaped from Azkaban are: Alex Alhine, Zelda Berlin, Bertha Bagwell.'  
  
The list went on like this. Ron skimmed through it until the last names started with M.  
  
'John Macwell, J. L. McHerse.'  
  
There! Lucius Malfoy and Narcissia Malfoy- right there! But no Draco- yet, anyway.  
  
Suddenly, a blaring, slightly muffled voice filled the room.  
  
"Welcome to quiddich!" Ron heard Fred and George's best friend, Lee Jordan, exclaim. Ron opened the window. "Today's match is Gryffindor"- cheers erupted from all the houses except Slytherin cheered. "-Vs. Slytherin." Cheers were drowned out by boos and hisses.  
  
"But wait! Ginny Weasly will take Ron Weasly's place as Keeper because he is sick," Lee boomed.  
  
"Uggh," Ron cried in disgust, causing Madam Pomfrey to rush over and feel his head and give a long lecture about how others are trying to rest and how he must be respectful and quiet. It lasted half the match.  
  
"Alicia Spinnet makes ten points for Gryffindor, which makes the score seventy to sixty. Of course, Slytherin's old Firebolts are just not enough to keep up with Gryffiondor's new Leprechaun 180's, the newest model yet, donated by the MFWC. As you may know, MFWC means Muggle Free Wizarding Corporation. They donated the Leprechauns because"- Ron didn't hear why MFWC donated the newest lightning fast broomstick because McGonagall exploded.  
  
"JORDAN! I'M NOT PAYING YOU SIX GALLEONS AN HOUR TO ADVERTISE FOR THE MFWC!" Ron heard her shout. Jordan got right on track after that.  
  
"Harry Potter catches the snitch! Gryffindor wins! This is Lee Jordan, signing off!" Lee screamed excitedly. Cheering filled the stands.  
  
Ron grinned. He could almost imagine Malfoy's disgusted look, as if being beat by Ginny was bad. At that very moment, Harry and Hermione cheerfully burst into the room.  
  
"Hullo, Ron!" Harry said merrily.  
  
"Hi! I heard you won the quiddich match," Ron replied.  
  
"Yeah, we"- Harry was interrupted by the door slamming open. A scrawny, silver-blonde haired boy walked in along with two giant students following him. It was Draco Malfoy.  
  
"So, it's true. Weasly was scared competing against Slytherin, pretended to have a scary dream, and had McGonagall send him to the hospital wing. So now, Potty and Mudblood can come up and see you," Draco sneered.  
  
Ron's face grew beet red. "No, that's not it."  
  
"Oh, really? I challenge you to a wizard duel. On Wednesday. That gives you two days to prepare. At the Riddle House," Malfoy challenged.  
  
"I accept," Ron answered. 


	5. Hermione's Spell

A.N.: Thanks to all my reviewers! I really appreciate it. I Dream, I AM doing a Draco/ Ginny sequel, but I need to finish this one first, ok? Umm. does anyone know how to italicize, make writing bold, or underline words? If you do, could you please tell me how? This chapter took so long to write! Thanks for being so patient! Thanks to all 16 reviewers (byebye, hermandron4ever, the-fly-screen, HP fan four, Tom Felton's babe, bluskittlez, Anna, I Dream2, Princess Story Writer, Penny, Nit-Wit Chang, Theresa Barajas, and Zidane-and-Cloud, mike, Hermione_gurl787) again!  
  
Chapter 4: Hermione's spell  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Ron, you can't! You could get killed! Or worse, expelled!"  
  
Ron raised a hand to silence her. "I know what I'm doing, Hermione. I've wanted to do this forever. I accept," he repeated.  
  
Draco smirked as he walked out the door.  
  
"You can go to your dormitory now, Mr. Weasley, Professor McGonagall said as she bustled into the hospital wing. "Madame Pomfrey has informed me that you may leave."  
  
Ron was relieved. After half a day in the hospital wing doing nothing but studying his spells for the duel, he was ready to go to the common room. "Yes professor," he said as he gathered his things. McGonagall shooed him out the door when he was done.  
  
He basically ran to the common room. The portrait swung open, revealing a room full of students studying spell books. They all looked up at Ron as he walked through the small opening. Applause, cheers, and whistling filled the room. It was louder than the quiddich match!  
  
"What in the world is going on here?" Ron asked when the noise stopped.  
  
"Study Party! Harry told us about Malfoy's little challenge, and we thought we could give you a boost on your spells. We read up on the spells and teach them to you so you know spells and we get free food!" Fred replied.  
  
"Uhh. OK," Ron said, stunned.  
  
"And now that you're here, we can go to the kitchens and get food to make this a REAL party," said George as he and Fred ran out of the room. "OK. Let's hit the books," Ron said as he pulled out his copy of 'Simple But Extraordinary Spells For the Average Witch or Wizard.' Soon after, the twins were back with all kinds of luscious looking foods. Neville Longbottom tried a creampuff and was turned (momentarily) into a girl ("Weasley work at it's finest," George said after nearly choking on a pumpkin pastry). Everyone avoided the creampuffs after that.  
  
Ron was interrupted every five minutes to learn a new spell, all helpful, but none were near as helpful as the spell Hermione taught him.  
  
Hermione hadn't been to the party but came down to help Ron. Ron had his hair green, as he had one of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes.  
  
"Ron," Hermione whispered as if she didn't want to be there. "You know I don't approve of you dueling Malfoy-"  
  
"So you came to try to convince me to do otherwise?" Ron snapped, irritated at the very thought.  
  
"-But," Hermione continued, ignoring Ron's rude interruption. "This is a spell where a wand is of no use."  
  
Ron was dumbfounded. What kind of spell was it if it didn't require a wand?  
  
"This spell was taught to me by the muggles, Harry, and you. But lately, it seems as though you've forgotten it. It's faith, Ron," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh Hermione," Ron breathed, but she had already fled to the girls dormitory.  
  
Before the girls came into the room, Hermione cried herself to sleep, thinking of all the danger Ron had gotten himself into. 


End file.
